The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) has announced that Emmy® Award-winning television presenter and science educator Bill Nye will be the Lifetime Achievement honoree at the 4th Annual Children’s & Family Emmy Awards. This will be among several special honors to be presented during the Children’s & Family Emmys Honors Ceremony on March 1. The winners of this year’s competitive competition will be revealed during the Children’s & Family Emmy Awards Ceremony on March 2. Both ceremonies will take place at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall in New York City.
“This is quite an honor. Thank you. As you may know, I pretty much put my heart and soul into all the shows I’ve worked on,” said Nye. “I believe that the process of science is the best idea humans have ever had. I loved making shows that encouraged kids of all ages to embrace the P, B, and J–the Passion, Beauty, and Joy–of science, while also showing that you, the viewer, can change the world. I’ve spent my life doing what I love, and this award is not only a celebration of my past work, but a reminder of the impact we can have if we choose to invest in science education and the next generation of leaders.”
Nye is an American science educator, engineer, television presenter, inventor, and New York Times bestselling author. As the co-creator and host of the Emmy Award-winning 90’s television series Bill Nye the Science Guy, Nye helped introduce generations of viewers to science and engineering in an entertaining and accessible manner, fostering an understanding and appreciation for the science that makes our world work. Today, he is a respected champion of scientific literacy who has challenged opponents of evidence-based education and policy on climate change, evolution, and critical thinking. In 2025, Nye was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor, by President Biden in recognition of his dedication to science education, included in the TIME 100 Health list for his advocacy on behalf of Ataxia, a rare genetic disease affecting his family, and received a star on the iconic Hollywood Walk of Fame as a testament to his legacy and lasting impact on the entertainment industry. Nye served as CEO of The Planetary Society, the world’s largest and most influential non-governmental space organization co-founded by Carl Sagan, for 15 years, and is now the vice chair of the Board of Directors and chief ambassador for the organization. He earned his Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from Cornell University and currently resides in Washington, DC and Los Angeles with his wife.
Gold and Silver Circle Honor Society
NATAS has also announced the 2026 inductees to the Gold and Silver Circle Honor Society in the Children’s & Family community. Inductees are exceptional professionals who have performed distinguished service and made enduring contributions to the continued excellence of the television industry for at least 50 or 25 years, respectively. Induction will took take place at the Honors Ceremony on March 1.
The Gold Circle 2026 Children’s & Family Inductees are:
–Vince Deadrick Jr., Stunt Coordinator and Performer – Nickelodeon Studios; CBS; Paramount; Universal; ABC
–Michael Frith, Producer, Creative & Design Consultant – The Jim Henson Company, Sirius Thinking, No Strings
The Silver Circle 2026 Children’s & Family Inductees are:
–Sara DeWitt, Senior Vice President/General Manager, Children’s Media Innovator – PBS Kids
–Amy Friedman, Executive Producer – Redhead Consulting; Nickelodeon; Universal Kids (NBCUniversal); Warner Bros. Discovery; Cartoon Network; Aspen Institute; Kidscreen
–Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, Executive, Producer, Manager – The Gotham Group; Atlas Management; Nelvana Animation; William Morris Agency
–Alan Muraoka, Performer, Director, Producer – Sesame Workshop (Sesame Street); PBS; HBO; Disney Channel; Olney Theatre Center
–Paul Siefken, President and CEO, Fred Rogers Productions; Production Executive – PBS; Cartoon Network
–Rosemarie Truglio, Senior VP of Global Education at Sesame Workshop – Sesame Workshop/Sesame Street; PBS
Animation honors
Finally, NATAS has announced this year’s honorees for Individual Achievement in Animation in each of the six animation disciplines, as well as for Outstanding Public Service Initiative, all of which were determined by juried panels and will be honored on March 1. They are:
Outstanding Public Service Initiative
Carl the Collector, PBS
Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation – Background Design
Bastien Grivet, Visual Development Artist
Star Trek: Prodigy, Netflix
Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation – Character Animation
James Saunders, Animator
Ultraman: Rising, Netflix
Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation – Character Animation
Max Winston, Animated and Fabricated By
Daffy in Wacklyland, HBO | Max
Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation – Character Design
Kaloyan Athannassov, Character Designer
Jentry Chau vs. The Underworld, Netflix
Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation – Color
Mark Anthony Mohamed, Color Supervisor
Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Paramount+
Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation – Production Design
Brett Nystul, Production Designer
Spellbound, Netflix
Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation – Storyboard
Esteban Bravo, Storyboard Artist
Win or Lose, Disney+
“Mr. Nye is one of the most revered broadcast educators in television history, having instilled multiple generations of children with an appreciation for the extraordinary world of science,” said Adam Sharp, NATAS president and CEO. “It is an honor to celebrate his career, as well as the esteemed careers of this year’s Gold and Silver Circle inductees and individual honorees, alongside this year’s fantastic nominees who are building upon their work with important children’s programming today.”
